No doubt the single greatest act of kindness of all time was the sacrifice of our Creator, approximately 2,000 years ago, when he took on himself all the sin of the seen and unseen world. Indeed Romans 5:10 confirms that while we were yet enemies, he reconciled or covered our sin with no repentance required and thus everyone receives the free gift of life. However, to be in the family, a part of the 144,000, you would have to be called in this age and get baptized in the name of Yahweh Shua and have hands laid on you by an elder and start overcoming the adversary.
Indeed, Paul confirms that overcoming is what allows the Messiah to be formed in you, and hopefully fully formed at the time of your physical death (Galatians 4:19 and Revelation chapters 1-3). However, if one is called and chosen in this age, you can be part of the 144,000. If not, there is another day of salvation in the first 100 years of the last great day. That is when the adversary (Satan) is let out again and people who overcome in that period of time could be part of the innumerable multitude. If you are unable to overcome, you will be given the free gift of life, but live outside the kingdom and be purified. Revelation 21:8 shows unbelievers in the lake of fire which instantly destroys their bodies, but their mind or spirit will go back to the Father. In Revelation 22:15 we see the same unbelievers living outside the kingdom in the New Heavens and New Earth.
If this one sacrifice by our Creator is the greatest event of all time, why would we again have sacrifices in the millennial kingdom? Hebrews 10:4 confirms that no animal sacrifices could ever take away sins. Possibly, as some commentators have noted, these sacrifices in the millennium would be a visible reminder or a memorial to what our Messiah’s self-sacrifice actually accomplished, which is life forever for everyone. Certainly, sacrifices in the old covenant look forward to the day of our Creator’s perfect sacrifice for all sin.
A Sister asked what else could the sacrifices accomplish? Paul says sacrifices of the new covenantare the sacrifices of our lips. We should offer the sacrifice of praise continually and the fruit of our lips is giving thanks to the name of Yahweh Shua. Paul notes that the old covenant sacrifices could purify the flesh but could not purify the mind like the new covenant (Hebrews 9:13-14). The old covenant ended with the death of our Creator on the beam and the new covenant has better promises. The law is now magnified; it requires getting baptized in the name of Yahweh Shua, getting hands laid on by an elder and then overcoming to the end of your physical life. During the millennial period, the adversary is put away. There is no overcoming, thus, no growth of Messiah in you and thus no path to salvation. This is confirmed in Jeremiah 23:6. Righteousness will be restored in preparation of the Father returning after the millennium in the New Heaven and New Earth. Everything will have to be physically cleansed and then eventually all his creation will be spiritually cleansed as well.
These millennial sacrifices may remove uncleanliness similar to the Creator’s instructions to Moses to have people wash their clothes and purify themselves for 3 days prior to his visit to Mt. Sinai. (Ex 19:10-12) In other words, this would prevent humans from defiling the millennial temple.
There are some differences between the millennial temple of Ezekiel and the old covenant tabernacle and Solomon’s temple, one of which is the sheer size of this new temple that will be on the order of a mile square. In addition, the scriptures, in particular Isaiah 60:6 and Zechariah, 14:16-19 suggest that gentiles (non-Israelites) during the millennium will be allowed to come to the temple, whereas that was the not the case during the old covenant. Also, in Ezekiel’s temple there is no ark, tablets, mercy seat, veil, candle sticks or show bread.
During the millennium, there is no mention of Pentecost, trumpets or the Day of Shouting (Ez. 45:17-27); only Passover, unleavened bread, and tabernacles. Pentecost is likely on pause until the last great day when the Holy Spirit will be needed for overcoming. The day of coverings was done away by our Creator’s sacrifice. (Please see Bob Bondurant’s article posted August 25, 2018, titled “The new covenant feasts of Yahweh”) The Day of Shouting ends at the 7th trump prior to the millennium. Consecration of the old covenant tabernacle is noted in Exodus 29:1-37, and in the millennial temple (Ezekiel 43:18,27) wherein there are different types of sacrifices.
During the millennial time, there is likely going to be an absence of death, with all animals being safe from predators. (Isaiah 11:6) At that time everyone will know our Creator since the adversary is put away. The only thing that will enter the brain is the holy spirit. Jeremiah, 31:34, confirms that no one needs to ask their neighbor whether they know Yahweh because everyone alive at that point in time will know him.
Verse 5 of Revelation indicates that the dead will not live again until the completion of the 1000 years. It is possible that John is speaking in a spiritual manner since the Messiah gave out 144,000 spiritual bodies at the Seventh Trumpet. Therefore, there will be no more spiritual bodies until after the 1000-year period. Thus, it is likely that everyone who is not a saint will have their physical life extended in the millennium and learn everything there is to know about our Creator. Without the influence of the adversary for 1,000 years, all flesh will have a learning opportunity. However, as you know, knowing the word is less important than overcoming once the adversary is let out.
Thus, the new covenant sacrifices in the millennium, in addition to looking back at the Messiah’s one-time sacrifice, will likely also have other objectives such as covering humans from being destroyed by the glory of our Creator and prevent the defilement of the holy millennial temple. Millennial sacrifices are likely part of the physical cleansing of the earth and then once everyone is spiritually cleansed, the kingdom will be handed over to the Father.
To learn more, please read all the articles under “News” on this website from the oldest to the newest, and pray to Yahweh the Father in the name of his resurrected son Yahweh Shua for wisdom and guidance. After doing that, you will be prepared for the next step of baptism. May Yahweh guide you along the way.